NC // founder
/ Inventor · Hardware Designer · Founder

Nikita Cheniuntai.

I design and ship industrial robotics, construction 3D printing, and AI for CNC - hardware that works in the field.

Apis Cor founder. NASA Habitat Challenge winner. Guinness Record holder. Now building AI for CNC manufacturing.

See work
Nikita Cheniuntai - founder, AI and industrial robotics
1
Guinness World Record
1st
NASA Habitat Challenge
10+
Yrs industrial robotics
6+
Real-world deployments
/ 01

What I build

  • 01Industrial robotics systems
  • 02Construction-scale automation
  • 03CNC + manufacturing systems
  • 04AI-driven physical infrastructure
/ 02
Now
Current focus - Stealth

AI for CNC manufacturing.

Waymo moment for parts production.

  • 01

    AI alone doesn’t move the needle in manufacturing. Quoting automation is backwards because price is a result of the production strategy, not the starting point. The same CNC part can be made in many ways, with completely different cost and cycle time. Real automation has to start on the shop floor first, then extend into quoting and workflows.

  • 02

    We are building an AI-native CNC platform with humanoid-grade robotic intelligence, where machines can “see” and “feel” the cutting process through real-time sensor feedback.

  • 03

    Next-day CNC part production at dramatically lower cost is a national advantage. It would accelerate every major industry by bringing software-speed iteration to hardware manufacturing.

Projects

  1. 01
    2026–Present
    AI / Manufacturing

    AI for CNC Manufacturing

    Current focus - applying AI to CNC manufacturing to automate the most expensive parts of the machining workflow.

    CNC control panel and two monitors displaying machine telemetry and a digital twin.
    AI for CNC Manufacturing
    Digital-twin interface showing a 3D CNC machine model, coordinates, and axis controls.
    Detail
    Interior of a CNC lathe viewed through a coolant-streaked protective window.
    On-site
    Problem

    CNC manufacturing still depends on highly skilled operators for setup, programming, and inspection. It's slow, expensive, and doesn't scale.

    Result

    Active R&D. Early results show meaningful reductions in setup and programming time on real production work.

    How it was built

    Building an AI system that understands parts, machines, and process - collapsing the gap between a CAD file and a finished, inspected part.

    Read more
  2. 02
    2017–2026
    Construction Robotics

    Apis Cor - Construction 3D Printing System

    Built a full-scale, mobile robotic system that 3D prints buildings on-site.

    Apis Cor team beside the construction printer and printed test structures in a workshop.
    Apis Cor - Construction 3D Printing System
    Nikita inspecting a freshly printed concrete wall beside the Apis Cor printer at night.
    Detail
    Apis Cor construction printer depositing concrete to form a wall at night.
    On-site
    Problem

    Construction is the least automated trillion-dollar industry. Existing 3D printing was lab-scale, not deployable in the field.

    Result

    Deployed in real-world environments. Used to print the world's largest 3D printed building in Dubai - Guinness World Record.

    How it was built

    Designed a new type of construction machinery from scratch - the Apis Cor Printer and Mixer. A 14-axis robot with a custom-built motion controller, custom servomotors, and custom encoders.

    Read more
  3. 03
    2018
    Aerospace / Autonomy

    NASA 3D Printed Habitat Challenge - Autodesk Build Space

    Autonomous robotic construction for off-world habitats.

    Team members beside industrial equipment at the Autodesk Build Space workshop.
    NASA 3D Printed Habitat Challenge - Autodesk Build Space
    Overhead view of a circular 3D-printed habitat test structure and robotic equipment.
    Detail
    Nikita working with a tool beside industrial machinery in the fabrication workshop.
    On-site
    Problem

    NASA needed proof that lunar and Martian shelters could be built autonomously, with zero human intervention, from in-situ materials.

    Result

    Won the NASA 3D Printed Habitat Challenge against global engineering teams.

    How it was built

    Developed a fully autonomous robotic construction system capable of printing structural habitats end-to-end.

    Read more
  4. 04
    2019
    Industrial Deployment

    Dubai - Biggest 3D Printed Building on the Planet

    The largest 3D printed building ever constructed - industrial-scale robotic construction deployed in the field.

    Completed white 3D-printed building in Dubai with curved walls in a sandy landscape.
    Dubai - Biggest 3D Printed Building on the Planet
    Wide view of the Dubai building at sunset with the construction printer in front.
    Detail
    Aerial view of the Dubai construction site with printed walls and the construction printer.
    On-site
    Problem

    Translating lab robotics into a working construction site at extreme scale, in extreme heat, with real materials and real schedules.

    Result

    Printed the Guinness World Record building in Dubai - one of the largest real-world validations of construction robotics to date.

    How it was built

    Led on-site deployment of the construction-scale 3D printing system end-to-end.

    Read more
  5. 05
    2020
    Field Deployment

    Texas Boca Chica - 3D Printed House

    Experimental construction deployment inside the Texas environment.

    Apis Cor material tanker trailer at Boca Chica, Texas, with aerospace structures in the distance.
    Texas Boca Chica - 3D Printed House
    Construction printer forming a concrete wall outdoors at the Texas site.
    Detail
    Finished 3D-printed house interior with textured walls and laundry machines.
    On-site
    Problem

    Validate that construction robotics can operate in extreme, unstructured industrial environments alongside aerospace operations.

    Result

    Demonstrated construction robotics under extreme conditions adjacent to active aerospace operations.

    How it was built

    Deployed and 3D printed a prototype housing structure in Boca Chica, Texas.

    Read more
  6. 06
    Early work
    CNC / Motion Control

    Custom CNC Machinery

    A series of custom CNC machines built from scratch - 5-axis plasma cutter, 3-axis vertical mill, and more.

    Plasma cutting head cutting metal with a bright arc.
    Custom CNC Machinery
    Large custom CNC gantry and machine frame during workshop assembly.
    Detail
    Fabricator welding the steel frame of a custom CNC machine.
    On-site
    Problem

    Needed a high-degree-of-freedom fabrication tool with custom motion planning, and there was no off-the-shelf option.

    Result

    Early foundation in industrial robotics and CNC - the basis for everything that came later.

    How it was built

    Designed and built multiple CNC machines end-to-end - mechanics, motion control, and fabrication integration. Including a 5-axis plasma cutter and a custom 3-axis vertical mill.

    Read more
  7. 07
    R&D
    Industrial Process

    Rivida Prototype - Wastewater Ammonia Recovery

    Pro bono work helping my friend Andrea build the MVP for her company. My way of giving back.

    Nikita and a colleague beside an ammonia recovery prototype with vessels and tubing.
    Rivida Prototype - Wastewater Ammonia Recovery
    Technical diagram of the ammonia-to-fertilizer recovery prototype process.
    Detail
    Colleague using a laptop beside a dog in a home workspace.
    On-site
    Problem

    Farm wastewater dumps recoverable ammonia into the environment. Existing systems are too expensive or not field-deployable.

    Result

    Functional experimental system for environmental processing - now an open R&D track.

    How it was built

    Built a prototype recovery system based on NASA patent research, adapted for agricultural environments.

    Read more
/ 04
Expertise

Built from scratch.
Deployed in the field.

Over 10 years in industrial robotics. I designed a construction 3D printing system from scratch as a 14-axis robot with a custom motion controller - and took it from first sketch to Guinness World Record and first place in the NASA 3D Printed Habitat Challenge.

I work full-stack from mechanism to software: mechanics, motion control, firmware, and the AI layer. Systems built this way survive real job sites - they are not demos.

Now I am applying the same approach to AI for CNC manufacturing.

/ 03

Execution philosophy

Physical, not just software

Build systems that move atoms - not only bits.

Prototype → deployment

Move fast from bench to real-world site.

Hardware-first thinking

Work directly with materials, machines, industry.

Real-world validation

Sites and customers over simulations and decks.

/ 06 - Contact

Let's build the
industrial stack.

Open to conversations with operators, investors, and founders working on physical AI.

LinkedIn
/in/nikita-chen-iun-tai-054b8590
© 2026 Nikita Cheniuntai
Apis Cor · NASA · Dubai · Texas · CNC AI